Dec 9 2012:
I'm in China right now. The censorship is really obnoxious. The obvious websites, like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter are all blocked, but sometimes you can't use Google, and CNN pages won't load. I haven't tried any other news pages, but I've been told that it's more or less the same.

I have a VPN now, and I can chat with family and friends back home. Last year I didn't have one, and it was annoying on a level that's really impossible to understand if you're from a country that does not have this kind of censorship.

Even though my country, Germany, isn't blocking websites I think it is not to difficult to imagine how the internet would be, if all major websites of foreign news channels would be blocked. It would be a desaster for me, as the best news I can get even about my own country is the news from abroad.

Any media is biased, that's the way it just is. So to get the best possible view on my nation, I usually look on different sites in the USA, the UK, France, Russia and others, because their view is different to the media in Germany, just by its nature.

So if this would not be possible anymore due to censorship, my view would certainly narrow down to become nothing but blurry and uncertain.

I like to hear independent voices from different sources, so that my view clears up, and my understanding gets more broad in detail and opinions.

That's why censorship is evil, in general, and regardles the name of the country which is doing it!

Dec 8 2012:
"cut down the line to the outside"? That's the DPRK's method of censorship. Costly. Ineffective. Easy to cause resent. No, it's not how censorship works in China, if you just take it literally.
Actually, there's an interesting TED talk which I think best illustrate the condition here in China.

So censorship in China is not that horrible anyway... As is mentioned in the talk, you can always bypass censorship and voice you opinion by using all these wonderful tricks invented by creative Chinese netizens. I should also like to add that it's even easier to get information from the outside, namely, you just grab a decent VPN at a cost of a few bucks a month (There's actually commercial sites specially dedicated to this purpose, both abroad and, most amazingly, in Mainland China. I guess the government figured out that if you're clever enough to consider a VPN, there will virtually be no means to stop you, so why not just let'm make that purchase and make some contributions to GDP?)

If internet censorship in China is not 'that horrible' and as easy to bypass as you said, what do you think is the reason for its existence?

To me, censorship in any country, mine included, is one of the worst mechanism of 'mind control' a government can inflict on its citizens. Someone decides what is 'allowed' and what not. Who is this someone? A higher spiritual being knowing the real truth? Whatever these censor think they are, they are not and it is about time, that China and all other censorship countries start to act accordingly.

It might be fun to bypass and to outsmart internet censorship, especially for generations who are 'digitally literate' enough to do so, yet this does not compensate the fact for censorship to exist in the first place. It is like speed limits on the highway. We all drive faster than the signs are telling us, but when the police get's us, we have to pay...

Dec 8 2012:
I am attracted by the title of this topic. It's good to hear Chinese voice in the international Internet community. The criticism to Chinese government maybe overstrong, but it serves as a warning and the sign of dissactisfaction or even resentment among the people in the nation. But freedom is a too broad issue and covers too many areas. Besides, there are still many nations in the world enjoy less freedom than China. You can also say, why can't I enjoy freedom? Because I am a North Korean... As for countries in Mid-East, the freedom can never be ensured since the state is chaotic. When mentioned of the revolution in Egypt, their freedom is even less than Chinese, the decision power is still in the hands of military ditactors.

Dec 8 2012:
I'm sure no two issues are of equal importance, but the systems are both different and both can be criticized, then improved upon. The way in which improvement is implemented after the critique is based entirely on the boundaries which the system of anything is drawn. In the case of dissenters of a government, it seems to be public awareness and/or public demonstration, but the extreme would be an abolishment or take down of the current government. If there was dialogue between the government and the people, then I don't see how such a high level of dissent would arise, but I don't really know the level of dissent, so I will add that this is just someones opinion and it wouldn't affect anyone if it weren't based on some type of reality in the first place, right?

Dec 9 2012:
No, the level of dissent is not that high as you perceived.
By the way, I've checked out the link you left below about the different ways of Eastern and Western education, it's really very very interesting.
I love the point that it talks about the intelligence and struggle taught to kids in different cultures. Western children are taught to due their success to their own intelligence, while the Asian kids are taught to concern about struggle. I never realize the differences in such light before.
But it doesn't judge a culture as good or bad by these differences, so you can't say eastern education produces students of low creativity just based on this.

Dec 4 2012:
Many people know it, but most of them have no courage to do it. If they become rich enough they immediately immigrate to the developed countries for freedom or better education or for a better life when they get old. They have no idea how to make that change. What we accept in schools is always getting a high score in exams, and doing what teachers want you to do. They have washed our brains. All of these are just what I feel, personally. I dont know it is right or wrong, but I really want to out of here and see what outside looks like.

Dec 4 2012:
Try to read The Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu and The Prince Qualities of the Prince by Nicollo Machiavelli. They were very interesting writers that talked about different ways of governing. I was very intrigued by what the Tao te Ching talked about.

It says that Eastern education produces students that have low creativity, but the people who don't have formal education in China can make such fantastic art. Maybe it is the level of seriousness that doesn't allow Eastern Students to be as creatively express themselves as Western Education. Hope this was helpful. =)

Dec 5 2012:
You can contact me through ted.com, through my profile page. I am just applying all my knowledge to your situation. I am just a curious and learning person, and you are as capable of gaining this knowledge as I am, but you just have to go out and search for more knowledge. =)

Dec 5 2012:
I am also interested in political and economy, and I have read Tao Te Ching, It is a great book, but I think the idea is not suitable for China now, We have much more to do to deal with the most serious contradiction between government and us ordinary people. Our society now is cold and most of us are busy in earning money and only take care of themselves. 5 boys died in a rubbish bin because of the cold weather, a girl was hit by a car and nobody helps. Finally she died. So many we are suffering now. Government only pays attention to GDP.

Dec 7 2012:
People need to step out of their comfort zones. I'm sure getting your first job interview was uncomfortable, but it must have felt rewarding afterwards. People should be the example they want to see in the world. Don't blame other people that others aren't doing any good in the world. Take responsibility of your own life and take action. If you see someone who needs help, help them. If you are working for a job you don't like or need, then find a new job.

The Tao Te Ching reminds me of a very free society, butt The Qualities of the Prince is about a very oppressive society. I think that seeing the two in contrast will reveal more about your own personal ideals of a better government.

Don't wait for your government. Your government should wait for its people. Don't pity the situations of the world. Take action.

Dec 9 2012:
Thanks for your reply. Reading more books would help me to out of bad mood. And by the way, you come from USA, and could you tell me how to learn English well? My major is English Trade, and I could not speak it like your pronunciation and intonation, and it is difficult and boring to remember the words. How to learn it?

Dec 3 2012:
You have free will or the power to control your own actions. If you see injustice, then find other people who agree with you and go forth and make change to your government. Have you read about the recent Egyptian Revolution? You can gather people who think like you and change your environment. Exercise your agency. Life is too short to feel unhappy. I am American, but I heard that the Chinese government restricts people from searching for certain information and words like 'freedom'?

Dec 3 2012:
The American saying goes, you can easily squash one ant, but if all the ants gathered united, they could overcome most obstacles. Have you ever read or heard of Martin Luther King Jr? China has Tiananmen Square Massacre, but the problem is that the single incident ended horribly and no one would want to rise up again. I think that people need to find more outside help or possibly find more secretive modes of spreading information to people interested in revolting. If you get thrown into jail, that will happen. People will be punished or killed for their actions, but the people need to be knowingly walking into danger and accept that fact. The more attention from the media or others who want to unite, then there is a higher chance to make change. It didn't take one day to build the Great Wall of China, and changing an oppressive government is surely not an exception.

Dec 3 2012:
This is just a stupid topic.if you are not free,how can you start this stupid conversation on TED? shame on you.Before you judge your country,first love it, then can we find a solution together.

Dec 3 2012:
是的，在我提出问题之后，遭到啦大量国人一致的批评，什么家丑不可外扬啊，但是外国人更多提出的是一种批判性的想法。很多人也提出他们国家的各种问题。但是我想说的是真正热爱国家并不是成天歌功颂德，而是在于提出他的问题，关注他的未来 记得这样一句话吗？ This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected

Nov 29 2012:
I am a Chinese, I love my country, but as I think, you feel it's a tragic because you are a Chinese? So why don't you move out of China. I know you don't like the Communist Party, but is this the reason you hate your own country? I only feel naive after I read your question. You have confused the concepts between country and government. I don't like the current Chinese government neither, but I still hold my faith that China will become better and better, not create hates. By the way, I think we can access many foreign websites, the truth is not so serious as you said. It's indeed a pity that we don't have the same extent of freedom as these Americans have, and we can do nothing to change this. But it's not a problem for me to keep love my country. Because I got birth in China, I grow up in China.

Nov 26 2012:
every one is constrained in their own nation, most of people who talk about freedom who rarely know about freedom, in the other word, what you mean is right may not be correct in other place or in others' mind? what you think is wrong may not be wrong in the others' mind, how can you leave your idea on others, this topic is really stupid to me.

Nov 25 2012:
After thinking a bit If you are in China and are Chinese. If you are a somewhat average educated person - Your diet and education are much better as are your opportunities. Isn't that the deal that the Chinese government made? As an American I will now keep my mouth shut. Besides my fatness If I am eating food might fall out. I don't mean to be unfair or unkind - but there are so many problems in the world that I can't imagine.

Nov 25 2012:
There are always games, misdirection, false advertising, and thought control - Even in the Great Democracies. We are constrained in our lives by individuals and institutuions other than governments. Okay, I greatly prefer freedom;however, institutuions can change over time - If men were truly good rather than evil as Adam Smith told us Constant pressure by the good guys and gals can build a better World. However, don't ignore Maslow People move up the hierachy of needs.

Nov 25 2012:
Neither you nor anybody else in this world is truly free. No one can really say what 'freedom' means, which, kind of, proves my point. There are only different types of serfdom, of which the Chinese seems to be more opressive than others.

Nov 26 2012:
I do not understand what the world serfdom means in you comment.but i am so happy to see you leave some words on my talk because it is the first time i contact with outside.it really take me a few hours .